• 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘬@lemmy.ml
    25·
    8 months ago

    You should donate to free software you like because you like it.
    ____________________________________

    Change my mind.

  • peak_dunning_krueger@feddit.de
    81·
    8 months ago

    The cost of switching to an unfamiliar Interface and workflow is high enough, charging money to do it will further increase the barrier to entry.

    Paying for open source software sounds good on paper, but if it is required, the software will never accumulate the users to make the development have any meaning.

    There has to be a “try it before you buy it” too. Otherwise the permutations of scams are obvious and nobody will fall for that. Idk how you would prove that the software works, without giving an actual copy of the software.

    Also, legalities between different countries. You will just not get your money back from “trustworthy nigerian software dev who just needs 50$ to give you some software”.

    So no.

    Do donate if you can though. If you value the software you use, you will pretty obviously recognize the utility and the cost to you, should it go away.

    • eatham 🇭🇲@aussie.zoneEnglish
      2·
      8 months ago

      You could go the Grayjay approach and have it be “paid” software but not stop you from using it without pay, not even anything other than a small buy button which stays until you pay.

      • MudMan@kbin.social
        3·
        8 months ago

        That is most likely going to generate less revenue than promoting donations, or a comparable amount at best. WinRAR is the meme example.

        From a PR and marketing perspective, if I wanted to maximize my revenue as a single developer I would set up a Patreon or encourage recurring donations through the software by providing bragging rights stuff (merch, insider access, early access to unfinished builds and so on). Single mandatory payments simply reproduce the piracy/license access of commercial software and shaming people into paying without coercion just makes you seem less appealing to people who would donate anyway.

  • ky56@aussie.zone
    6·
    8 months ago

    I am interested in paying donations to free and open source software I regularly use and have into my workflow. I will completely ignore your project if you make me deal with license keys. The Grayjay method is ok but would prefer that code and buttons not be dedicated to getting in my way. I hope that the mentality of paying for what you use becomes more common in FOSS culture so that prompts aren’t needed.

    That said if your broke, don’t dontate. Take advantage of it being free and when you get a good job again, then consider helping out the developers.

    In recent personal experience, I recently changed the motherboard on my Winblows VR gaming PC and It wouldn’t recognize my legit product key anymore. I don’t have patience for DRM shit so I activated it with KMS. Activation keys are a pain in the arse.

    I emphasized It’s use for VR gaming just in case someone tries to sell me on the Linux Proton compatibility system. Someday soon steamVR will hopefully have good compatibility and I will give it a go. However I will always at minimum be stuck with windows on a secondary ssd as I have some Oculus games I also like and Oculus+revive will likely never work under Linux.

    • ky56@aussie.zone
      1·
      8 months ago

      I should add that I am broke myself so it’s a bit high and mighty of me to say people should donate when I have not done so yet.

      I have started by at least supporting game developers on Steam. Mostly indie to medium size studio ones. Again, I can’t stand the AAA game DRM key crap.

  • dan1101@lemm.ee
    2·
    8 months ago

    They don’t always make it easy though. I’m not signing up for Patreon just to donate a one time amount.